Breakfasts

I thought breakfast in the UK were big. These were country breakfasts.

This was shared.

Aidan's breakfast on Sunday morning, it was an event called waffles.

Not sure that I have had waffles and ice cream for breakfast but they were pretty good.

Rural Safari

Spent the weekend out west driving around the countryside, looking for things. There were 70 way points, a question to answer at each one. Some could be done as a drice by, others had to get out and go and find something, or count things.

There was also 20 images to find and note down where they were spotted.

Approx 16 teams entered, we were each given seven hours to complete and sent out every two minutes. At times there were up to four cars pulled up, other times we were the only vehicle around. Yay, it started to rain, mid afternoon, definately something that the country needed if not us at that particular time.

Organizers had put in alternate roads just in case of rain, which we took at one point, however it didnt help the car.

It had been messier than the photo as more rain had washed some mud off. No prizes for guessing what I did this afternoon. Well, I started and then I did have help, we now have a nice clean tidy car although I still have to get the vacumn out tomorrow.

Magpies!

It has been on the news that the magpies are swooping early this year, it is usually late Sept and October.

There used to be a bad one around here and it would swoop the kids going to and from school. It was before Lucy so it didnt bother me that much, I would just drive that area. One time about eight years ago, I was riding my bike and I felt something hit my helmet, I thought it was a branch come down from the trees but then it happened again and again, it was a blasted magpie, got that close that he was hitting my helmet. I got off the bike and crossed the road then returned home, keeping my eye on him. He didnt swoop me again as I was watching him.

Saturday we were walking with Lucy in a newish area about 20 kms from home. A maggie came and swooped Lucy, coming down about a foot off her head, we heard and saw the flap of wings at the same time. She was on her lead and about two metres in front of us.

The ones around here must be a bit slow as Lucy and I have just come back and we saw a couple in the park but definately not in swooping mode, will have to start taking a long umbrella with us and just put over my shoulder as a deterant.

No Baggage

Thinking about what I need to take with me for the weekend, made me think of one of the books that I read in my bag from the library last time. It was called no baggage and it was a factual book rather than the ficton that I usually read.

Anyway the title of the book was No Baggage and the sub title stated Eight countries, three weeks one dress.

It was written about a couple who had got together and decided to travel together after onky knowing each other for about eight weeks. The male had done this type of gravelling before and invited her along. No plans at all except the first flight to Turkey from USA.

He had fairly quirky ideas and before they left, he wanted them to put things together that they were taking. He laid everything out on the kitchen bench and from scratch (read birthday suit), got dressed and packed. One Tshirt, one pair of knickers one pair of red jeans, pair of socks and shoes. One pocket had passport and $200 cash and money card, other front pocket had mobile phone and charger. It took him just under two minutes to get dressed and pack.

She had knickers, bra, dress, sandals, a shawl and a very small handbag with wallet, passport, two extras pairs of knickers, deo, half a toothbrush and two tampons, plus a small comb, phone and charger.

They caught trains and did use internet to get beds through couch surfing. Since that trip, they have done two more. She ditched the sandals and bought runners on day three.

I think that I pack reasonably light but no way could I do that. Four weeks in UK and my bag was 12 kgs for the trip, a little heavier coming back but not much.

Doesnt really help me to pack for the weekend and I will have almost the whole car to myself, it could be cold too, possibly wet. Do I take stuff to cater or do I just brave it out? Time will tell, maybe I will check the weather and decide from there

At the beach

We visited the beach a few days ago.

Quite used to seeing sail boats in the distance, sand sea and blue skies.

These I had not seen before, Warren said they were recently stingray holes. He said that they hover over the sand flapping their wings which stirs up the sand so they can get a meal. These are just two that I took a photo of but there were about twenty
such holes in a small area. The water had receeded so we could see them.ands

A trip to the big smoke

We needed to go to Childrens hospital earlier in the week, afterwards Aidan and I walked to South Bank, I hadnt realised it was so close, and then along the river.

Very nice walk and we saw a very different things, I also didnt realise that bush turkeys could fly! We spied this one up a tree, he was sitting on a branch about three metres up then walked up a branch for another couple of metres when I took the photo.

Further along was an interesting piece of art, could step down along it but the steps were very high, I went around through the garden and down the slope but Aidan took great delight in going up and down.

Every so often there were mosaic tiles in the broadwalk.

A pleasant walk to the convention centre where we caught the bus to the train station, so much easier than driving and try to park in the city.

Our home away from home

Warren got an invite to go bike riding in a few weeks. When upgrading to a caravan and then trading the ute for a car to tow, we are short of  being able to have living space and space to transport bike.

We had discussed this problem being changing things and this was our solution.

We hadnt purchased it until he got the invite, then thought sh.....we had better do some thing about it. We were out at the time so wheeled around and went to BCF ad bought the above. Its big enough to stand up in, big enough for two camp beds, had a floor and a fly, even a flap from the door that can be peggedm out to sit under.

We had not priced them so didnt know how much we would need to spend but price tag stated $200 off so we bought it there and then.

It has all the pegs and ropes and poles with it. We put it up in the house first, then Warren put it up outside by himself as the first trip, I have another engagement so wont be going.